By Takunda Mandura
TRT Afrika, Harare
All idle Provincial COVID-19 isolation facilities in Zimbabwe will be converted into multi-sectoral drug rehabilitation centres, the country's government says.
The Southern African country is facing shortages of rehabilitation centres amid worsening cases of drug abuse.
With only a few “big” public institutions providing rehabilitation services, some private medical and voluntary organisations have stepped in offering such services.
"Some idle Covid centres which were not being used because some resorted back to being ordinary and normal hospitals but in this case these 8 were identified just last week,'' Minister of Defence and also Chairperson of the National Committee on Drugs and Substance Abuse, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said.
It is not yet clear when the drug addicts will be taken to the new centres but the move ''requires us to put resources together to identify the personnel who will man these areas and it requires time. It is a process," Muchinguri added.
Rising cases
Drug abuse is punishable by fine or a prison term. Addicts are also sent to rehabilitation centres to enable them rebuild their lives.
The problem is most prevalent among young Zimbabweans who often take illicit alcohol, methamphetamine, codeine-containing cough syrups, Diazepam, Ketamine and Pethidine, morphine and fentanyl, marijuana or cannabis, and sedating opiates.
The authorities have intensified efforts to tackle the problem. "A total of 5 367 offenders were arrested during the period 7th July to 23rd September, 2023,'' Information Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere told journalists after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
''This represents a sharp increase in the 4 328 arrests made for the whole year of 2022. A total of 81 bases, where drug users and peddlers converge to sell and consume drugs, were destroyed during the period under review, " he added.
Zimbabwean police, Drugs and Narcotics Units have intensified vigilance at four border posts as well as airports to curtail the inflow of drugs.
Statistics compiled in 2021 by an NGO, the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network revealed that 60% of psychiatric admissions were due to drug abuse. 80% of those admitted were aged 16 to 25.
Rogue Pharmacies
"Under the Harm Reduction, Treatment and Rehabilitation Pillar, drug rehabilitation services were provided in Government and private health institutions. A total of 1093 new patients were attended to at mental health institutions," Dr Muswere said.
Zimbabwe has the highest number of 15-19-year-olds who engage in heavy episodic drinking in the African region, according to the World Health Organization.
Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) has revoked licenses of seven pharmacies and deregistered one recently.
The wholesalers were ''promoting abuse of Histalix, a locally produced cough mixture containing codeine by illegally selling it at Mbare and places like Chitungwiza and others were exporting to Zambia and Mozambique,” said MCAZ Head Licencing and Enforcement Division, Mrs Caroline Dandira-Samatanga.
So far this year, the licences of at least 17 pharmacies have been revoked. "We aim to prevent the circulation of counterfeit drugs and unregistered substances that can contribute to drug abuse,'' Mrs Caroline Dandira-Samatanga said.
